• Creation & Early Days:• Korean language is absolutely different from Chinese,

but people had to use Chinese characters to record what they want

• Dec., 1443: King Sejong the Great (and his scholars in ‘Jiphyeonjeon’ ( 집현전 )?) of Yi dynasty created and promulgated this writing system under the name ‘Hunminjeongeum’ ( 훈민정음 )

• The original writing system had 17 consonants and 11 vowls (now Hangul has 14 consonants and 10 vowls)

• The aristocrats and many nobles, so called ‘Yangban’ ( 양반 ) had been strongly against this writing system.

• The ordinaries and females of nobles kept using this writing system, called Eonmoon ( 언문 ), Ahaegul (아해글 ), or Amkul ( 암클 ) all of which contain somewhat downlooking meaning

HANGUL (HISTORY)

Sejong the Great (May 7, 1397 – May 18, 1450, r. 1418 – 1450) was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He is best remembered for creating the Korean alphabet Hangul, despite strong opposition from the scholars educated in hanja (Chinese script). Sejong is one of only two Korean rulers posthumously honored with the appellation "the Great," the other being Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo. (Source: Wikipedia)

http://travel-guide-south-korea.blogspot.kr/2010/06/gwanghamun.html

http://jewel.egloos.com/tag/%ED%9B%88%EB%AF%BC%EC%A0%95%EC%9D%8C/page/1

http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=jazzroi&logNo=30124578182&redirect=Dlog&widgetTypeCall=true

• Middle to Late Yi Dynasty• The Hunminjeongeum had been more popular among

the lowers and females, due to it’s easiness to learn and use

• Number of novels written in Hunminjeongeum appeared

• Letters among ordinaries and ladies had been often written with this writing system

• 16C, Gasa ( 가사 ) became a literature genre• 17C, Shijo ( 시조 ) flourished• 1984, It was renamed Gukmoon ( 국문 ) and became

the official writing system• 1985, Elementary school text began to use Gukmoon• 1986, Dongnipshinmoon ( 독립신문 ) had been

established, which is the first newspaper printed both in Korean (and English)

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/travel/ncholla/chunstory.htm

http://www.wdl.org/en/item/4166/

http://www.bostonks.com/index.php?mid=haninnews&page=16&document_srl=62424

David R. McCann (Korea Institute, Havard University)

http://sejongsociety.org/videos/20100414/

http://youtu.be/W6NouHM4aSs

• Colonial Rule (1910-1945)• Japanese became the official language, but

Korean language and writing system had been taught and used

• 1912, Ju, Sigyeong coined the term ‘Hangul ( 한글 )’ for the writing system, established the Korean Language Research Society ( 조선어학회 ), and led to reform the orthography of Hangul with a standardized system.

• 1930, Colonial Reforms, force to rename people’s name in Japanese

• 1938, Korean Language was banned from school• 1941, any of publication in Korean was banned

• After Liberation (1945~)• Korean is the only official and native language• 1946, definitive modern orthography published• Hunminjeongum society is trying to spread

Hangul over the globe• Hangeul Society ( 한글학회 )

Find any Korean poem ‘shijo ( 시조 )’ translated in English, submit the poem and your appreciation of it.

You may use keywords ‘ 시조 영문’ in surfing the web

For fun: ‘Gangnam Style’ by Psy http://youtu.be/9bZkp7q19f0

Assignment